Rein-holder



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG LARSON, OF UNION GROVE, VISCONSIN.

REIN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,793, dated September 23, 1890.

Application iiled April 18 1890. Serial No. 348,444. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG LARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Grove, in the county of Racine and State of Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Combined VhipfSocket and Rein-Holder, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons, and more particularly to the reinholders thereof; and the invention consists in a device carrying a pair of spring-actuated jaws opening rearwardly or toward the driver, all the parts being of the specific construction hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional view showing the device as applied to the box of awagon. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner edge of one of the jaws. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the head of the device with the jaws removed.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter H designates the head of this device, depending from which are two legs A, adapted to straddle the sides of the wagon-box and to be held in place thereon by a set-screw U, which passes through one of the legs and bears upon the side of the wagon-box.

In t-he outer leg A, near its upper and lower ends, are eyes I, through which the whip-haudle may be inserted, the said handle resting upon a stud or stop D below the lowermost eye when in place. A leaf-sprin g L is also secured to the outer side of the said leg between said eyes and bears outwardly against the whiphandle, whereby the same will be held in place with a yielding force and may be removed by the driver, but will not be accidentally dislodged by any movement of the vehicle, as over rough roads.

Coming now to the present invention, the upper face of the said head H has two openings O, standing diagonally across the same from its rear corners toward its center and mounted on pins P. Just outside the front ends of these openings are two jaws having curved and roughened inner faces R. Depending from these jaws and extending into the openings O are small pins p, and between `said pins and the rear ends of said openings are seated coiled springs C, as shown, whereby when the jaws are turned rearwardly the springs C will be compressed, as will be understood.

From the above description of the construction of this device, it will be seen that the reins may be passed into the space between the roughened inner edges of thej aws, drawn rearwardly with considerable force, and pressed downwardly, and that when the tension on the reins is slackened the same will be clamped between the jaws, it beingunderstood that they stand just a suflicient distance apart to effect such clamping. The more the horse pulls upon the reins the tighter they will be clamped; but when the driver desires to detach them from the jaws a slight pull to the rear, accompanied by an upward movement, effects such disengagement instantly.

The device can be manufactured at` a trifiing cost and applied to carriages and wagons now in use without in the least altering their structure or marring their appearance.

I claim as the salient points of this. in vention- The herein-described rein-holder, the same comprising a pair of legs A, embracing the side of the wagon-body, a set-screw U through one leg impinging against said side, a head II, fixed upon and connecting the upper ends of said legs, -jaws mounted on pivots P in said head and having roughened eccentric faces R, said head having curved openings 0 in its' upper face, pins p, depending from said jaws and projecting into said openings, and expansive springs C, mounted in said openings between the inner ends thereof and said pins and turning said jaws normally forward, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Iny own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUDVIG LARSON.

Vitnesses:

AUGUST CALEB, WILLIAM MoHNs. 

